NEWS AROUND TEXAS
Park agenda pulled • Senate sprint • AI foundry
October 31st, 2026AD
TEXAS’ DAILY FRONT PAGE — THE STORIES MOVING THE LONE STAR STATE
TODAY’S TOP 5
1. TPWD pulls Boca Chica item
2. Senate race enters final weekend
3. Gambling raids net $2M+
4. A&M announces AI foundry
5. Moody Gardens mourns Sam
BOCA CHICA LAND ITEM PULLED
Texas Parks and Wildlife drafted, then pulled, a November closed-session agenda item on the “disposition” of Cameron County land near SpaceX, The Texas Tribune reports.
The land includes Boca Chica State Park, roughly 1,060 acres near SpaceX’s operations. Gov. Greg Abbott said Oct. 19 that a sale would not come up for a vote “anytime soon.”
On Friday, the agency asked the attorney general’s office to block release of the draft agenda, the Tribune reports.
Starbase recently annexed more than 7,100 acres covering a large portion of the park. Annexation does not give the city ownership. SpaceX has not responded to the Tribune’s request for comment.
SENATE RACE ENTERS FINAL WEEKEND
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton enter the final weekend before Tuesday’s election in the most expensive U.S. Senate race in the country, The Texas Tribune reports.
Talarico has held a narrow polling edge, according to the report. Polling is not an election result.
Advertising since the primaries totals $408 million. National Republican groups funded almost entirely by Elon Musk have put more than $272 million into the race, the Tribune reports.
More than 6.8 million Texans voted in the first 11 days of early voting, over 40% above the same point in 2022. Election Day is Tuesday.
FOUR ARRESTED IN GAMBLING RAIDS
Galveston police served 21 search-and-arrest warrants Thursday in an investigation of alleged illegal gambling, Houston Public Media reports.
The operation targeted electronic eight-liner machines in Galveston, Texas City and La Marque.
Investigators seized more than $2 million, though Police Chief Doug Balli said the amount is not final.
Four people were arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, with bonds set at $250,000 each.
The investigation began after a tip in June, according to the report. Charges are accusations, not findings of guilt.
A&M ANNOUNCES AUTOMATED ALLOY LAB
Texas A&M has announced the Aggie AI Foundry, a fully automated laboratory that will use artificial intelligence and robotic workers to develop metal alloys, Houston Public Media reports.
The College Station lab is funded by a $2 million grant and supported by the WoodNext Foundation.
Under the plan, alloy development would speed up from months to just days. Robots will mix, melt and test materials using computer-controlled arms, according to the university.
Raymundo Arróyave, one of the A&M professors behind the lab, said students and researchers will still play a role, focusing on higher-level research instead of lab work.
MOODY GARDENS MOURNS SEA LION SAM
Moody Gardens is mourning Sam, a California sea lion who died at age 12 under anesthesia during a medical procedure earlier this month, Houston Public Media reports.
Sam came to the Galveston aquarium in 2016 and became known for a bark that often greeted guests at the door.
General curator Greg Whittaker said staff noticed changes in Sam’s behavior before the procedure. The cause of death is still under investigation, and results typically take a month to six weeks.
Staff are honoring Sam and other animals with an ofrenda in the visitor center.
HOOD COUNTY WEATHER WATCH
CURRENT: Observed 2:15 p.m., Granbury airport (KGDJ): overcast, 70°F, south-southwest wind near 7 mph
3-DAY OUTLOOK
Sunday: partly sunny, 82°/65°
Monday: partly sunny, 85°/62°
Tuesday: sunny, 75°/50°
COMMUNITY PULSE
What information would you want before Texas decides anything about Boca Chica State Park’s future?
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